Chapter 368: The Demon King will let you experience it first

The next morning, Ilana arrived at the laboratory located on the fortieth floor of the Tower of the Grand Sage, her heart filled with seventy percent excitement and thirty percent trepidation.

In order to leave a good impression on Mentor Kelin, she had come especially early, and after some hesitation, she had even applied light makeup in the washroom.

She believed that Prince Kelin was not a superficial person and that what he valued was certainly not her outward appearance, but everyone has a desire to be beautiful, and she was no exception.

And—

The teaching assistant who found her had hinted as much to her.

That thirty-something-year-old mage seemed even more concerned about Prince Kelin's affairs than she was, urgently hoping that she would leave a favorable first impression in front of that Prince.

Ilana took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy oak door, only to be surprised to find that a dozen or so people had already arrived on the other side.

Like her, they were all wearing the simple robes of preparatory students, curiously sizing up the place that would determine their fate for the next few years.

A sturdily built youth, who looked a few years more mature than his peers, was the first to notice her and smiled in a friendly manner.

"Hello, you must be Ilana, right? I'm Jiemi, from Quartz City. My father is a carpenter there; if any tables or chairs are broken, you can leave them to me. My hands are much more dexterous than a golem's."

Standing beside him, a girl with short braided hair also nodded, saying with a smile, "My name is Ramu, welcome! By the way, my family has been clockmakers for three generations; if your pocket watch isn't keeping time, you can leave it to me!"

She was not tall, her smile was very sweet, and her cheeks were rosy, just like a small apple hanging on a tree in a neighbor's orchard.

In the Kingdom of Luo De, most commoners did not have surnames, and names were often duplicated, so many people would mention their own or their father's profession when introducing themselves to deepen the first impression on strangers.

However, this custom did not exist in the Empire proper. Ilana nodded slightly with reserve and introduced herself to the classmates who had greeted her.

"Hello everyone, my name is Ilana Octavia, from the Pierce Saint Saint Xingsheng... I look forward to your guidance."

In the process of getting to know each other, she discovered that everyone here was similar to Jiemi and Ramu.

Like her, almost none of them were magic geniuses in the traditional sense, but they had solid practical foundations in their respective fields of expertise.

And—

There was a vitality about them that others lacked.

She couldn't quite put her finger on what that feeling was, but she just felt they were quite different from many of the people she had met after entering the Academy.

She also didn't know how Prince Kelin had discovered them.

"Miss Octavia..." a slightly younger youth spoke hesitantly, perhaps having heard something in that complex surname, his voice carrying a hint of awe, "... are you a noble from the Empire?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the previously lively atmosphere instantly quieted down, and everyone's gaze focused on her, carrying a bit of distance and reserve.

Ilana immediately understood their concerns and couldn't help but laugh, saying modestly: "I'm no noble. My family are just merchants doing a little business in an Imperial province. You can just call me Ilana, following the customs of the Kingdom of Luo De."

After a pause, she added in a joking tone.

"If I were truly a noble, how could my parents let me come to the Academy to 'suffer'?"

And—

There would be no need to come here to be some preparatory student.

Only those who were properly admitted through examination needed to come to the Tower of the Grand Sage to receive re-education; a letter of recommendation could at least save them three years of time.

But then again, if she had saved those three years, she probably wouldn't have met the mentor who pushed open a window to the world for her.

Her frank self-deprecation instantly relaxed the tense atmosphere.

Jiemi laughed heartily and feigned relief: "That's good! We thought we'd have to bow before speaking to you from now on!"

Ilana smiled wryly.

"That joke isn't funny."

"Haha!"

Everyone laughed knowingly, and the awkward barrier was broken.

Actually, if you ignored height, Imperial people and Luo De people were not much different; they all spoke the same language, it was just that some were closer to the Holy City, and some were further away.

"Speaking of which, what scores did you all get on your last assignment?" Ramu asked curiously, "I heard Prince Kelin chose us based on the scores from the last assignment... I got eighty-three."

"I'm a bit higher than you, eighty-eight," Jiemi scratched his head, "I thought my answer about why the sky is green was already perfect, I don't know where I lost twelve points."

Everyone chimed in with their scores, and Ilana discovered that everyone here had scored above eighty.

"Ilana, what about you?" The youth who had previously asked if she was a noble suddenly spoke up, looking at her with eyes full of curiosity, "Your score certainly can't be low."

"I..." Ilana scratched her cheek a bit embarrassedly and said softly, "I got ninety-nine."

"Ninety-nine!?"

"Saint Xisi above!"

A burst of irrepressible exclamations arose, and almost everyone looked at her with the eyes of someone looking at a monster—it was a look of genuine envy and admiration.

"My god, Ilana, what on earth did you write?" Jiemi couldn't help but press, his face full of longing, "Can we see it?"

Ramu looked at him in surprise, and at this moment Jiemi also immediately realized his abruptness, so he quickly shut his mouth.

In the Academy, inquiring about others' unpublished "academic secrets" was a taboo and was also considered impolite.

Perhaps a mere assignment didn't count as an academic secret, but the atmosphere of the entire Tower of the Grand Sage was like this, and they had all been influenced by it to some extent.

However, Ilana didn't mind; she just felt a bit embarrassed, thinking her answer didn't deserve such a high score.

"Of course you can, although I think... my answer actually has no reference value."

After a pause, she continued.

"I told that Prince that the sky is not green, water is not equal to ice, steel is just steel, and it is a different matter from molten iron. Honestly, at the time, I had already prepared for a failing grade, but I didn't expect that Prince to actually approve of my answer... I was quite surprised."

The laboratory fell into silence once again.

Those pairs of eyes that had looked at her like a monster gradually turned into shock and disbelief.

Challenging the mentor, questioning the assignment itself... this was a path they had never imagined. And what made them even more incredulous was that this path was actually acknowledged by Prince Kelin?!

"No wonder you could get 99..." Ramu sighed genuinely and continued in a low voice, "Actually, I thought the same, but I hesitated and didn't dare to write it completely according to this line of thought... After all, that is a Prince of the Blood, what if he got angry?"

"Yeah, offending an Imperial Prince is no laughing matter..." Jiemi also scratched his head and said in a low voice, "Academic credits are a small matter, I was mainly afraid of the Prince's blame."

"... I think that Prince shouldn't be the kind of narrow-minded person; even if he saw an answer he didn't approve of, he would probably just laugh it off and not take it to heart." Ilana smiled reservedly and softly stated her view.

After all, according to her observations, everyone had received those academic credits.

Although she didn't dare to claim she understood that Prince, this extracurricular assignment indeed made her re-evaluate him.

That Prince did not choose people who were "best at answering questions," but people who "knew how to think" and "sought truth from facts."

Although he had never explained in depth what "science" actually was, she suddenly felt less like a stranger to this novel term.

Just as everyone was whispering and discussing, a steady and clear sound of footsteps came from outside the laboratory.

"The mentor is here!" Someone reminded in a low voice, and all the heated discussions stopped abruptly.

The dozen or so apprentices immediately took action, quickly standing respectfully in front of their respective oak tables, straightening their backs, and holding their breath while waiting for the mentor to arrive.

As the steady footsteps stopped outside the door, the oak door of the laboratory was slowly pushed open.

Luo Yan walked in, and seeing the dozen or so apprentices standing neatly, he flashed a hint of a smile in his eyes amidst his surprise.

"Oh? It seems everyone is here, earlier than I expected."

He spoke gently, his gaze sweeping over every young and nervous face, and continued with a smile.

"Welcome everyone to my laboratory. It is still very crude here; after all, I just picked up this treasure... thanks to Professor Gangte's help."

"Good day, Mentor!" The apprentices responded in unison, their voices loud and full of respect, while their eyes were filled with curiosity and surprise.

They always felt that this Prince was not quite the same as they had imagined.

They had originally thought he would be more dignified in private, but they didn't expect him to be even more approachable than in the classroom.

"No need to be so reserved, everyone relax," Luo Yan waved his hand with a smile and walked to the center of the laboratory, "Professor Gangte told me that becoming an apprentice in the Academy usually means having to go into dangerous labyrinths to collect magic materials for the mentor, or dealing with some experimental products that carry the risk of magical backlash. But not here with me; you can breathe a sigh of relief."

Professor Gangte had never said that, but it didn't prevent him from attributing this statement to the only professor he knew.

Anyway, it was a fact.

Looking around this spacious but slightly empty laboratory, he continued in a joking tone: "Now, your top priority is to help me tidy up this laboratory I just 'picked up.' A workman must sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well; our first step is to familiarize ourselves with our 'tools'."

After finishing, he began to assign tasks to the apprentices.

"Jiemi," he looked at the carpenter's son, "You are from a carpenter's background, right? Although these experimental tables are made of fine oak, the mortise and tenon structures in some places have loosened. Go check them and see which ones need reinforcement."

Jiemi immediately puffed out his chest, looking as spirited as a soldier.

"Yes, Mentor! Leave it to me!"

"Ramu," Luo Yan turned to the clockmaker's daughter, "Your hands are very clever. These brass instruments look very precise, but having been unused for a long time, the scales might no longer be accurate. The calibration work is left to you; this job requires patience and care, and I believe you can do it well."

Ramu's cheeks were rosy, and she nodded earnestly.

"I understand, Mentor!"

"Very good."

Luo Yan also arranged tasks such as transcribing data and organizing glassware for the other apprentices. Finally, his gaze fell on Ilana.

Being watched by that Prince, Ilana felt a bit nervous.

Those eyes seemed to have a special power, capable of piercing through all disguises and masks. And this also made her feel a hint of inexplicable shame, as if she were standing naked in front of him.

Fortunately, this feeling did not last long; that Prince seemed to have only looked at her twice out of curiosity.

"Ilana."

"Here, Mentor." Ilana responded immediately and stepped forward.

Luo Yan pointed to a corner in the deepest part of the laboratory piled with sundries, where there were metal parts half a person high, scattered parchment, and some semi-finished products that couldn't be identified, all covered with a thin layer of dust.

"Your task is a bit different." Luo Yan said with a smile, "See those things? They were left behind by the previous owner of this laboratory; some are parts for magic dolls, and some are discarded drafts. Most people treat them as trash, but I think there might be different discoveries; my favorite thing to do is treasure hunting."

The surrounding apprentices looked in the direction he pointed, their faces showing some confusion.

If there were really treasures in here, could they still be left for them?

The mages of the Academy were all sharp people!

Luo Yan looked at Ilana and continued.

"I need you to inventory them, categorize them, and write down registration numbers. If possible, I hope you can write down their uses in the remarks. You don't have to be perfectly accurate; just record your guesses... can you do it?"

As soon as this task was mentioned, the other classmates cast sympathetic glances at Ilana.

This sounded completely like a chore of cleaning a warehouse, boring and tedious, and without any technical content.

However, there was not the slightest disappointment on Ilana's face; instead, her eyes brightened, and she answered in a crisp voice.

"Yes, Mentor! I guarantee I will complete the task!"

Although in the eyes of others this was a job of cleaning trash, without any technical content, she didn't think so.

Especially since Prince Kelin asked her to record the uses of these recycled items in a booklet, it just went to show that the Prince valued her judgment and opinions.

This would be valuable experience!

Luo Yan didn't say anything more, just cast an encouraging look at her, then walked to his desk and sat down.

Although this task seemed tedious, it was actually a comprehensive cultivation of observation, induction, and analytical skills.

On this matter, he had asked for You You's opinion; although that little ghost was third-rate at management work, she still had some insights of her own in the field of scientific research.

After all, she was the captain of a research starship, even if she might be the only cannon fodder on the entire starship.

Additionally—

Luo Yan was also incredibly looking forward to this flower bud he had chosen being able to unearth unexpected treasures from these unclaimed waste products.

The laboratory immediately became busy.

Luo Yan, while flipping through "Conjectures on the Isomorphism of Star Power and Magic Conduction" borrowed from the library, sipped the black tea just brewed by Shala, wandering in the ocean of knowledge.

A milky white mist appeared beside him, and You You, whom only he could see, nodded her abstract head in approval, praising him.

"Not bad, they really are diligent little fellows... Speaking of which, Great Demon King, You You has discovered that no matter where you go, you can find so many useful tools; do you have any tricks?"

"Nothing else, just practice makes perfect."

Luo Yan smiled faintly, and while replying in his heart, he continued to flip the book in his hand to the next page.

This was a book recommended to him by Keji, written by Professor Alister Suoen.

It is said that this gentleman is a famous scholar of the Source Law Sect, and has extremely profound insights into Source Magic and Void Realm research.

If the core of the Source Law Sect is that all magical phenomena originate from a cosmic base energy that transcends elements, light, and darkness, then this professor is exploring the essence of Source Power in depth on the basis of this theory, and even created a set of breathing techniques.

However, this exploration mainly stays at the philosophical level; there is not much discussion at the mathematical level or quantitative research.

It is thought that this is also related to the underdeveloped basic science of this world, especially mathematics.

In Luo Yan's impression, although this world has concepts of algebra and geometry, it lacks anything further.

"... Wait until I give a few more lectures, and I'll tell them about calculus." Luo Yan pondered in his heart, a playful smile hanging on the corner of his mouth.

Just like that, a few more days passed.

During this time, Luo Yan, while continuing to tell the "flowers" of the Academy about the many principles of science, pushing open one door after another to a new world for them, while patiently waiting for good news from Professor Gangte, lived a regular and fulfilling life.

As for his leisure time, he would occasionally go to his laboratory to take a look, or sit alone in the meditation room, absorbing the rich "Essence of Heaven and Earth" around the Tower of the Grand Sage.

Under the joint blessing of the dragon egg and Source Power, his experience points were growing at an incredible speed, as if he had taken an elevator.

Probably no player could level up faster than him.

On the other hand, the number of students coming to listen to his lectures every day gradually stabilized at around five hundred.

Some students who signed up didn't really come to the classroom, which was also within his expectations; after all, not everyone has the patience to listen to those "boring theories" that have no direct relationship to improving strength, just coming to mix for academic credits.

It was just that what Luo Yan didn't expect was that as time went on, among the "auditors" in the back row of the classroom, there were actually some teaching assistants from various mage towers.

Especially when he talked about the "mathematics" part, those teaching assistants who already had a profound understanding of magic showed unprecedented fanaticism, even listening more attentively and earnestly than some preparatory students.

They were vaguely realizing that what this Prince was telling was a kind of unparalleled "universal language" capable of describing the underlying laws of the world!

This did not conflict with the magic they studied—

Even more, this was a kind of "method" that could be used to study magic.

One day at noon, the bell rang at noon, and Luo Yan enjoyed a rich and cheap lunch in the faculty cafeteria—all you can eat for 5 copper coins.

After the meal, having nothing to do, he stopped by his laboratory on the way.

At this time, most students were dining in the cafeteria.

Usually, after eating, the preparatory students of the Academy would choose to go to the classroom or return to the dormitory tower to take a nap, recharging their energy for the afternoon's courses.

However, to his surprise, when he pushed open the door of the laboratory, he found a young girl squatting alone in the corner of the storage room, staring intently at the sundries in front of her, so much so that she didn't notice Luo Yan walking behind her.

Out of curiosity, Luo Yan coughed lightly and spoke in a gentle tone to interrupt her thoughts.

"What's wrong, Ilana? The bell for noon has already rung, do you have no appetite today?"

"Mentor!"

Hearing the voice, Ilana looked up in surprise; her face was stained with some dust, but her eyes were brighter than ever before.

"I was just about to find you! Look at this!"

Like offering a treasure, she brought out a private notebook wrapped in thick cowhide from the bottom of a box of discarded blueprints and draft books.

There were no magic marks on the cover of the notebook, only a name branded with a soldering iron—"James Wali."

If one hadn't carefully opened the contents inside, it would probably have been really easy to mix it up with that pile of useless drafts.

Luo Yan raised his eyebrows slightly, took the notebook with interest, and flipped through it casually.

And Ilana, standing on the side, was reporting her discovery in an excited tone.

"If my speculation is correct, this is the private notebook of the former owner of this laboratory; there is no content about magic inside, but instead, it is filled with many incredibly complex mechanical structure diagrams and calculation formulas!"

"Looks a bit interesting, although just looking at these, one can't understand what he is designing at all... Do you have any good ideas?" Luo Yan asked casually with a smile, but didn't expect Ilana to really give an idea that surprised him.

"Magic Quantifiable Theory!"

Ilana said excitedly, looking at the mentor who showed a surprised expression, wiped the dust on the tip of her nose with her sleeve, and continued at a fast speed.

"This Mr. James mentioned in other drafts that when he was studying magic doll design, he realized that magic power, as a more stable energy output than steam power, should also have corresponding units to quantify the output power and magnitude of magic power!"

"Later, this scholar launched a series of explorations along this line of thought, but unfortunately, he was troubled by the lack of precise measuring tools and calculation methods, so that many studies fell into a dead end. I also suddenly thought of it... perhaps, perhaps the 'science' you proposed in the classroom could just become the tool to solve this problem!"

When she said this, Ilana looked up, her eyes shining, as if a group of invisible flames were burning!

Although she didn't know what use this had, out of pure thirst for knowledge and desire for exploration, she still subconsciously said that immature idea in her heart.

Luo Yan closed the notebook in his hand, and the look in his eyes when looking at Ilana was no longer surprise, but even more a touch of genuine surprise and appreciation.

"Incredible..." You You muttered in a low voice beside him, looking at her Demon King Majesty in surprise, "Why can you always discover 'legends'?"

"Maybe... because I have a pair of eyes good at discovering."

Luo Yan sighed in his heart, then gently placed the notebook in his hand into Ilana's hand.

He also didn't expect that the seeds he sowed would germinate so quickly, actually growing a tender shoot that pierced through the soil.

Perhaps Ta Fu or the players in the Great Cemetery could do it faster or even better than her, but he still intended to let the people of this world walk this inevitable path to enlightenment by themselves.

Some things cannot be replaced by foreign souls.

Moreover, this clue itself was discovered by the people of this world.

"Ilana, your observation and judgment are very sharp." Luo Yan's voice carried appreciation, looking at her slightly immature eyes and saying, "You are right, although... the Tower of the Grand Sage thinks that Mr. James Wali's research lacks practical value, and inscriptions and runes themselves are enough to make magic dolls move, there is no need to do this extra work, but in my opinion, he is an explorer walking at the forefront of the era."

"The value of this notebook might be even greater than we imagine."

After a pause, his voice became solemn.

"From today on, your task is no longer to organize sundries—"

Ilana held her breath, looking nervously at Prince Kelin, her heart half in shock that she shouldn't believe her ears, but half in surprise.

"You are the person who understands these studies best at present; I need you to study this notebook," Luo Yan said word by word, "Even not just the notebook, I need you to organize all of Mr. James Wali's research, and continue to walk along the path he didn't finish, or even the path he already gave up."

When he said this, Luo Yan smiled, accurately dispelling the concerns in her heart about identity and qualifications.

"Don't worry about not having enough qualifications, or not having enough strength; after listening to so many of my lectures, your starting line is no lower than others... Where magic is needed, I will arrange for teaching assistants to assist you, or I can do it myself."

"Prince, this, this is also too..." Ilana exclaimed, and as soon as the words came out, she suddenly remembered that she had used the wrong form of address.

But would the Demon King care about this?

"I am not a Prince; call me Mentor or Mr. No matter what other mentors and professors think, at least here with me, academic is academic. In front of truth, every soul is equal; you don't need to worry about the red tape of status, just tell me what you see, and what it actually is!"

Luo Yan smiled slightly, looking at Ilana who was so excited that she could hardly breathe, and announced Prince Kelin's decision in an inspiring tone—

"From today on, Magic Quantifiable Theory is the first research topic of the 'Magic-Guided Science' laboratory!"

Just like when he put the tip in Keji's hand, he put a huge and radiant "Magic Crystal" into the hand of a promising magic apprentice.

The future achievements of this seed might exceed his imagination. ===== CHAPTER 369 =====